In what ways can we align our desires with God's will today? setting the scene “Then Balak said to Balaam, ‘Come, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.’ ” (Numbers 23:27) Balak longs for Israel’s downfall. He drags Balaam from hill to hill, hoping a change of scenery might change God’s verdict. Yet each attempt only reaffirms that the Lord blesses whom He chooses, and human maneuvering cannot twist His will. The passage pulls back the curtain: aligning desires with God’s will begins by accepting that His decree is settled truth, not a negotiable preference. what we learn about God’s will from Numbers 23:27 • God’s will is unchanging; relocating the prophet never relocates the decree. • Human schemes cannot manipulate divine purpose. • Real alignment happens when our hearts shift, not when circumstances shift. • Balaam’s eventual obedience (born of fear and awe) shows that surrender overrides personal gain. common ways our desires drift • Wanting God to bless plans we have already decided upon • Measuring success by public approval rather than God’s approval • Treating prayer like a lever to secure comfort instead of communion with God • Ignoring clear scriptural boundaries in pursuit of immediate gratification practical steps to align our desires today • Submit plans early. Before launching an idea, lay it before the Lord, inviting correction. • Saturate the mind with Scripture; His revealed Word recalibrates our meters (Psalm 119:11). • Examine motives honestly—“Why do I want this?”—and confess selfish aims (James 4:3). • Cultivate delight in the Lord; desire follows delight (Psalm 37:4). • Choose obedience over outcome. If God says “no,” trust that His “yes” is better, unseen though it may be. • Surround yourself with believers who will lovingly confront misaligned desires (Proverbs 27:17). • Keep eternal perspective. Recall that all earthly gains are temporary, while doing God’s will lasts forever (1 John 2:17). key verses that reinforce this pattern • Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” • Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” • Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” • 1 John 5:14 – “And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” • James 4:3 – “And when you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.” closing encouragement Balak’s relentless relocation plan failed, but it leaves us a gift: a vivid reminder that God’s will is both firm and good. When we embrace that reality, surrender becomes freedom, not loss. As we daily delight in Him, soak in His Word, and lay our motives open, our desires gradually synchronize with His—turning every hilltop moment into an opportunity to bless rather than to curse. |
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